1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for sectioning or cutting baked goods such as cakes while still within the pan in which they were baked, and more particularly to a cake pan or pan insert adapted for directing uniform and geometric cake cutting.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Buday, U.S. Pat. No. Des. No. 316,655 describes a pizza pie cutter guide design.
Rexer, U.S. Pat. No. 892,552 describes a device comprising a rectangular frame, having a plurality of angle frames extending inwardly from its sides, spaced apart to form longitudinal and transverse guide slots, and supporting members carried by said frame.
Hulsmann, U.S. Pat. No. 2,434,566 describes a pastry slicing guide comprising a frame having a circular opening therein, a stationary slotted knife guiding member extending diametrically across the frame and secured thereto at both ends, a rotatable slotted knife guiding arm pivotally mounted on the knife guiding member at the center thereof, and cooperating means on the slotted arm and frame for locating the arm at equidistantly spaced places around the frame.
Gore, U.S. Pat. No. 2,487,234 describes a template for cutting pies and the like while mounted on its plate, said template being of inverted cup-shape with its top wall substantially parallel with the plate bottom and the side wall substantially normal thereto, said template being dimensioned internally to freely contain the pie and its plate when the plate and template are mounted on a common supporting surface, said template having its top wall formed with a central opening of definite dimensions and of less diameter than the width of the knife blade used in cutting the pie, said wall additionally having spaced slots radiating from said opening with each slot extending into the upper zone of the side wall to thereby permit the knife blade to traverse predetermined slots and maintain knife contact with the upper face and peripheral edge zone of the pie plate during the pie-cutting operations, the side wall zones of the slots extending below the plane of the peripheral edge of the pie plate to thereby assure the clean severance of the boundary crust of the pie in providing the cut.
Weaver, U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,565 describes an equal-share cutting guide, comprising; a base member provided with a centrally circularly apertured container supporting means positioned thereabove for receiving downwardly therethrough the central downwardly directed circular portion of a conventional circular container pan having an outwardly directed annular edge flange adapted to rest upon said supporting means immediately radially outside of the centrally aperatured portion of said supporting means; cutting template guide means removably mounted in vertically spaced position above said supporting means and including a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced radially directed pairs of closely adjacent knife-blade-guide members for guiding a knife blade extended downwardly therethrough for the purpose of cutting an object carried by the container therebelow into equal portions corresponding to the number of pairs of guide members; and spacing and positioning means carried at the top of said supporting means symmetrically around the centrally aperatured portion thereof and positionally cooperative with the annular edge flange of the container for positively centering it with respect to the supporting means and also effectively comprising vertical spacer means for said cutting template guild means.
Steketee, U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,678 describes a pie scorer capable of guiding cutting action for different Sized pie cuts using the same knife guide, comprising; annular upstanding support means for supporting the flange of a flanged pie pan, a segmental arcuate portion of said annular support means being cut away to cause a flange of a support pie plate to protrude to permit an operator to grasp the flange; a removable unidirectional knife guide extending in one direction across the diameter of said support means and held fixed with respect to and in spaced alignment with respect to said annular support means; said guide being held in a position displaced angularly from said out-away portion to allow easy grasp and movement of the pie pan flange and indicia fixedly positioned on said annular support means at a predetermined angular displacement from said knife guide means to indicate predetermined angles through which the pie pan is to be turned on said annular support means between cuts by grasping the pie pan flange at said cut-away portion to shift it.
Haapala, U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,508 describes a knock-down rectangular frame has two opposite sides with straight edges which serve as knife guides. Adjustable distance pieces at the ends of the frame sides predetermine the heights of the straight edges.
Hassenfelt, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,300 describes a square frame surrounding and extending upwardly from a planar cutting surface to define a dough compartment. A plurality of vertical slots in each side wall extend from the top edge thereof down to the cutting surface to provide a guide for a cutting blade inserted therein. The slots are arranged in such a pattern that three, four, or six equal width slices may be formed in each direction depending on the slots selected for use. The cutter blade is accurately shaped along the bottom from end to end to ensure good contact with the cutting surface. An enlarged end portion at each end of the cutting blade prevents inadvertent dislodgement of the cutting blade during usage. A flour trough is provided on one side wall to facilitate the maintenance of a floured cutting blade during usage.
Hjelden, U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,786 describes a method and apparatus for quickly and easily cutting straight and uniform dessert bars is provided. The baker""s cutting device consists of two parallel blocks connected perpendicularly by two parallel guide bars. The bottom of the front block is configured such that the block fits over one edge of the baking pan and the back edge of the block hangs over the edge of a table or counter top to hold the apparatus in place. The guide bars are in this manner suspended just over the top of a typical baking pan. Resting perpendicularly upon the guide bars is a sliding cutting bar, this cutting bar may be supplied with handles at each end. A plurality of cutting blades are attached to both the upper and lower sides of the cutting bar at various intervals.
Albright et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,549 describes an apparatus for securing flat articles to be cut, including, in one embodiment, a base and a clamp bar coupled to the base by actuators. The actuators are slideably moveable to actuate the clamp bar between a clamping position near the base and an open position away from the base. A flat article is positioned between the clamp bar and the base, and the actuators are moved to position the clamp bar into the clamping position, securing the flat article to the base in a desired position for cutting. In an alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes a biasing member operatively engaged with the clamp bar to urge the clamp bar away from or toward the base. In another alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes a swing arm slideably coupled with the clamp bar, the swing arm having a straight edge. The swing arm projects away from the clamp bar and is slideably moveable across the base, thereby facilitating the securing of the flat and providing the straight edge for guiding a cutting device along a desired axis of cutting. In another embodiment, the swing arm includes pinch clamps that pinch and slideably engage the clamp bar, eliminating the need for maintaining precision tolerances between the clamp bar and the swing arm. In yet another alternate embodiment, the swing arm includes an angular adjustment assembly. In yet another alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes a cutting bar adjustably attached to the clamp bar. In yet another alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes a second clamp bar coupled to the base by second actuators, thereby allowing a flat article to be secured along two axes for cutting. In still another alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes a base having at least one channel disposed therein, a rail member engageable within the channel, a clamp bar, actuators and a swing arm. The swing arm is slideably coupleable with the clamp bar or with the rail.
Lacroix, WO 85/02988 describes a device intended to cut out equal portions from a round cake. It is comprised of an object having a plane or volumetric geometry and of which the basis is essentially circular. Said object is laid on the middle of a round cake and comprises markings and to indicate to the person who cuts the cake the cutting angle as a function of the number of portions to be made. The device which is the object of the invention is particularly intended to share out cakes or the like having a circular shape.
The prior art teaches the use of guides for cutting baked goods but does not teach a baking pan with upwardly directed round pins such that a straight edge ruler may be positioned at any angle against the pins for cutting geometric shapes in a cake. The prior art also does not teach a folding cake pan insert. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
A cake pan is adapted for guidance in cutting a cake and provides a pan bottom and a peripheral pan sidewall integral with the pan bottom and directed upwardly and terminating with a pan sidewall edge. The sidewall edge provides plural circular guide pins. A straightedge ruler has a straight edge of a length sufficient to span the cake pan from any one selected position on the sidewall edge to any further selected position on the sidewall edge. The guide pins are positioned such that with the straightedge ruler in contact with any selected pair of the guide pins, the straight edge is positioned for guiding straight-line cutting of the cake in a desired location on the cake corresponding to the straight edge. In a further embodiment of the invention an insert fits on the edge of the cake pan and provides the guide pins. The insert is fitted for folding flat for storage.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of guiding the cutting of a cake.
A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of cutting the cake into geometric shapes.
A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of being folded flat for storage.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.